This Week in Reading - July 20

It's Sunday so I'm linking up with the awesome Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer to talk about what's happened and what's going to happen.

What I Got:

NetGalley:

This week I didn't request any books!  I did happen to get approval for a request I put in ages ago and an invite for a middle grade that looks promising.

Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good by Kathleen Flinn
I'm so excited about this one.  I have her first 2 though I haven't read either of them despite all the raves.  I'm really looking forward to this one though.  Review should be up in August.

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm
This looks like a fun middle grade fiction involving a little boy who may or may not be the main character's grandfather.  It sounds like it will be an entertaining read.

Other:

The Cookbook Conspiracy by Kate Carlisle
Just one but I'm excited about this one as well.  I've really enjoyed this series and this one has cookbook in the title!  

Off the Blog:

I have learned a valuable lesson this gardening season.  If you don't know what one particular vegetable really looks like don't plant it near a vegetable that will look similar.  I planted regular cucumbers and then I planted Armenian cucumbers.  I've never actually seen an Armenian cucumber but they're supposed to be at their best when there at least a foot long whereas regular cucumbers would be spoilt.  There's been a lot of time looking at cucumbers figuring out if they're Armenian or not and I'm still not really sure.  On a positive side Golden Jubilee tomatoes are delicious!  My lunch these days has consisted of chopped up tomatoes with a little balsamic glaze and a couple of cubes of horseradish cheddar.  So tasty!

We had a food truck event in town last night and J, the Tornado and I went.  We had a fun time even though the line for the bacon truck was about a mile long so we ended up eating elsewhere.  

Soccer sign ups are this weekend and this will be Tornado's first year to play on a team.  He's so excited he can barely stand it.  Can't believe it's already soccer time because right after that is school time.

I've been enjoying listening to L.M. Montgomery's Anne of the Island.  It's one of my favorites and it's been fun to listen to it in audio format.  Not much going on TV-wise these days.  Seems like everything is on break though I am enjoying Major Crimes, Perception and Unforgettable.

COYER:

I've been really enjoying all the questions in the Facebook group even though I haven't been the best at consistently participating.  I'm so far behind on getting reviews plugged into the linkup that it's not even funny.  I've been making more room in my day to read and also have worked out a system for reviewing so I feel more on top of things which is half the battle.  The next readathon is Christmas in July which should be a lot of fun!  Even though I haven't made as much progress I feel more organized mentally so I'm calling it a win.

On the Blog:

This Week:

I didn't get everything I wanted to get done this week because it was the week of technical difficulties.  Here's what I did get posted:

A Bletchley Park Memoir review
My Top Ten TV shows which proved if I do nothing for a year but read and watch TV I might be slightly caught up on the things I want to read/watch
A fiction book that I thought was going to be a thriller about a woman who owned a bookstore but it ended up being about the woman figuring out who she is.  Still haven't figured out what I think of it.
The 1950s Non Series Agatha Christie book reviews.  The 1950s seem to have been her most consistent decade.
Excerpts from a fun paranormal cozy series that I hope to review next week
A mystery that reminded me why I shouldn't request books just because they take place in bookstores
A fun middle grade fiction that I think would be a good read aloud book.

Coming Up:

The Top Ten Characters I'd want on a desert island which is going to be a tough one!

The usual excerpts from whatever I'm reading on Friday

My review for the new Julia London contemporary will be posted tomorrow

At least 2 more reviews

Hopefully a review of this month's Birchbox and a post regarding ratings guidelines.

Oliver and the Seawigs - Review

Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve, Illustrated by Sarah McIntyre

Rating:
Source: NetGalley
Description:  Oliver is the son of explorers and he is very relieved when they decide it's time to settle down at a house on the bay.  Upon arrival they discover undocumented islands in the bay and decide to go exploring.  Oliver is very surprised to discover later that day that both the islands and his parents have disappeared.  Being a very logical boy he decides to go find them with the help of a rather grumpy albatross and others he meets along the way.

Genre: Children's
Why I Picked This Book: I was invited to view this title by the publisher and it seemed like a fun adventure story.  Since I'm always looking for good children's books - especially those I think a boy would enjoy I was really excited to give it a try.

My Impression:
This series reminded me a little of The Series of Unfortunate Events books.  Not in tone or unfortunate-ness but more the straight forward and the setting that is almost this world but just a bit more magical.  I liked the mix of humor and adventure.  It wasn't so funny that it was slapstick but not so adventure that it could be scary to younger readers.  While the parents do disappear I think it's handled in such a practical matter of fact fashion that it wouldn't bother smaller children.  I love that the parents aren't portrayed as stupid and that Oliver genuinely loves them.  The illustrations are adorable but not cutesy.  The personality of each character is captured but there isn't the caricature feel I've seen in a number of illustrated books recently.  This would definitely read better in book form than Kindle so you can enjoy the illustrations to their fullest.  The chapters are short which would make this a great read aloud book.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes

Would I Recommend this Book?:  Yes I think it'd be great as a read aloud book for Kindergarten and up and a good book for 2nd to 4th grades

The Dirty Book Murder - Review

The Dirty Book Murder by Thomas Shawver

Rating: 1 Star
Source: NetGalley
Description:  Disgraced lawyer and bookstore owner Michael Bevan is shocked when a little publicized auction of erotica sells for an exorbitant amount, he's more shocked when he notices a fellow dealer stealing a book from the collection and even more shocked when that dealer ends up dead.

Genre: Mystery
Why I Picked This Book: The bookstore angle got me again.  Please stop letting me pick books out solely because they involve a bookstore or library.  It's not working for me right now.
My Impression:
Pros:  I enjoyed the book talk with the mention of different editions of books both in the erotica genre and not.  I found some of the information about Hemingway's book habits interesting.  The pacing was good so this was a fairly fast read.  The main character actually behaves logically at some points by hiring a lawyer when he realizes there is substantial evidence against him for the murder of Gareth.

Cons:  I really didn't like Michael or find him in anyway sympathetic.  While I don't have to like the characters in the books I read there has to be something that appeals to me and this book really just never did that.  The people were unlikable, I didn't find the plot particularly intriguing and I really was fine with Michael going to jail for Gareth's murder innocent or not.  Every character had either an unpleasant back story with Michael (his employees, his daughter, his lawyer's wife) or a kind of twisted back story of their own (the elderly dominatrix, the desperate has-been movie star) and it just got to be a bit too much.

Overall:  While this was well written neither the plot or the characters intrigued or appealed to me.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Despite not really liking this one it did move quickly and with a more appealing story line I think the author would be worth trying again.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  No

Friday Linkups: Absolutely, Positively

Happy Friday!  Today I'm linking up with the Book Blogger Hop hosted by a Coffee Addicted Writer, Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, and Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader.

Today's Blog Hop question is:

Do covers pull you in?

Answer: Most definitely!  I'm much more likely to pull a book off the shelf that has a cover that appeals to me.  A good cover isn't 100% guarantee that I'll end up with the book but it's pretty close.

Today's book is Absolutely, Positively by Heather Webber.  This is the 3rd in the Lucy Valentine series about a woman who can find lost objects and specializes in finding lost loves using this ability which so far has led to finding 2 mysteries and occasionally a body.  I've really enjoyed the first 2 and after a string of books I felt like I was trudging through I really wanted something light and fun.

The Beginning:
"Suzannah Ruggieri blew into Valentine, Inc., like a category five hurricane.  The antique mahogany door slammed into its stopper, rattling the beveled glass panes.  Her eyes were wild, her hair disheveled , her round high cheekbones flaming.  Winded, she huffed, "Hurry!  The Lone Ranger's back!"


From page 56 of my copy:
"Open-faced cabinets held hundreds of tubes of color, dozens of paintbrushes, and canvases of every size imaginable.  "Your graddad was still working?"
"He'd just finished a project when he went missing."


I haven't read much of this one yet but this has been a series I've really enjoyed.  It's got a paranormal cozy vibe with the added bonus of looking for things that are missing versus just murderers.

So would you keep reading?  Are you a sucker for a good cover like me?

Agatha Christie Challenge - 1950s Non Series Books

I've made it to the 1950s non series books.  This is the 3rd decade of Agatha's writing career and she's still going strong.  With the first 2 books in this decade we revisit her earlier more adventure type novels but both have a twist.

They Came to Baghdad - 1951
Victoria Jones is quick on her feet and always tells a lie when given a choice.  When she meets the handsome Edward Goring the day before he leaves for Baghdad and the day she gets fired from her typing job she decides it's time for an adventure. Victoria is a classic Agatha heroine.  She's full of common sense and charm.  She's young and adventurous and just a bit reckless.  She does change up the romance element though and there's some twists that wouldn't have been in a similar mystery from Agatha in the 1920s.  This one is a lot of fun.  A classic Agatha romp with the added experience that writing for 30 years can give you. 4 Stars

Destination Unknown - 1954
Once again we have a mystery with hints of espionage and political intrigue.  However, instead of the usual young adventurous girl we have Hilary Craven. Hilary Craven is a woman who has lost her child and gone through a divorce and feels that she has nothing left to live for.  A man stops her from committing suicide and offers her a mission that will most likely end in her death but will do some good.  Hilary resembles the wife of a brilliant scientist who has gone missing.  His wife was severely injured in an airplane crash and Hilary agrees to take her place.  This is a bit interesting because we don't really know what the mystery really is until it is solved. 4 Stars

Ordeal by Innocence - 1958
This is one of the books that Agatha names as one that she was most satisfied with it and with reading it I can see why.  When Dr. Arthur Calgary returns to England after 2 years away he is horrified to learn that he could have saved a man from being convicted of murder.  To make things worse the man, Jacko Argyle has already died of pneumonia in prison.  He is surprised by the reaction that he gets when he confesses to the family and then resolves to really make things right by helping figure out who killed Rachel Argyle.  There are a number or interesting concepts raised mainly if Jacko was innocent that meant one of the family was guilty.  I enjoyed that as a reader we were able to see the point of view of each of the surviving family members.  There is very little active investigation as it mostly time passing and events unfolding on their own. You can definitely see Agatha's evolution from adventure stories and classic murders to more in depth thought provoking stories. 4 Stars

The Rise and Fall of Great Powers - Review

The Rise & Fall of Great Powers by Tom Rachman

Rating: 3 Stars
Source: NetGalley
Description:  Tooly is perfectly happy running her bookshop in an isolated town in Wales.  That is until a message from a former friend drags her back into the past that she worked so hard to forget. She finds herself on a reluctant journey to discover her past and solve the mysteries of those around her.

Genre: Fiction

Why I Picked This Book: A thriller sounding book involving the owner of a book store in Wales.  How could I pass it up?  Plus, I liked the cover.

My Impression:
Cons:  This book got off to a slow start.  For the first 20% or so I could have easily put it down and never thought of it again.  There's a lot of dialogue much of which seems pointless.  The characters rant about politics or literature or other systems.  There are 3 time periods being told at the same time.  1988 when Tooly is 9 years old, 1999 when she is 20 and 2011 when she is an adult living in over a bookshop. The chapters are short and for a long time it doesn't seem like anything is happening.  You spend so little time with Tooly at each time period that it's hard to connect with her and be interested.

Pros: Until all of a sudden I found that I was interested.  I had a better understanding of her and wanted to solve the mystery that was being hinted at if never full explained.  We do get to see the characters' motivations except perhaps the mysterious Venn.  I really sympathized with Tooly who gets dragged back into her past when she really just wants to be left alone to run her bookshop for as long as her money lasts.  The ending unfolded very unexpectedly and in some ways was very sweet.

Overall: This was a really hard book to review because the story itself was so subtle.  For the first half I planned on giving it 2 stars but as I got more involved I enjoyed it more and more.  I enjoyed the last half of the book very much and found myself thinking about it when I was done reading it. I wish there had been less side dialogue and more that had actually had something to do with moving the plot along.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: I don't know.  While I did end up really enjoying the book it took so long to get into it that I'm a little hesitant.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  If you're in the mood for a quiet contemplative book this is probably a good choice.  You definitely need to be in the right mood for it.

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Favorite TV Shows

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic hosted by The Broke and the Bookish is top ten favorite other stuff.  Since I'm not much of a movie watcher I went with TV.  I do a lot of TV watching on my Kindle Fire while I'm cooking, getting ready or doing other things that involve my hands but not my brain.  These are the shows I'm currently loving.

Image from BBC America

1. Whitechapel- (AmazonPrime) I love most things BBC.  They just seem to do murder oh so wonderfully and Whitechapel is no exception.  The mysteries are dark and gritty with an undercurrent of history.  The first story arc involves a Ripper copy-cat and history features in every case.  A lot of huge issues get tackled here like the class issue between the DI and the other police as well as the OCD of the DI but all the issues are dealt without getting preachy or making a lesson out of it.

Image from screenrant.com 

2.  Doctor Who - when I was a kid I used to watch Doctor Who with my dad.  Even though it was the 80s the only Doctor we saw here in the States (or at least the ones we saw) was #4 Tom Baker who was actually from the 70s. The old ones are great with most of the props being cobbled together with supplies found around the office and extras being whichever crew member isn't actively working a camera.  The reboot is probably better plotted and definitely better financed.  I adore David Tennant though I liked the other 2 and can't wait to see where #12 takes the show.

Image from amazon.com

3. The Bletchley Circle - A fantastic show about a group of women who worked at Bletchley Park in World War 2 and are finding it a little difficult to settle down into civilian life.  When they start using their abilities with codes and patterns to solve crime it gets intense.  The 2nd season just ended so hopefully it will join season 1 on Netflix.  This is another short one with each season consisting of 3 shows.

image from imdb.com

4.  Numb3rs - I've been watching this one on Netflix and I'm almost done with it.  I'll be sad not to spend more time with Don's team and family. I loved Rob Morrow as a neurotic New York doctor in Northern Exposure so it's fun to see him do something so completely different.  The math connection is a bit of a stretch as the series goes on but it's still a fun crime show.

5.  CSI - I was not sold when I heard Ted Danson would be the new lead on CSI but I've really loved the way the show has gone.  I love Morgan, Greg and Finn and the whole way the show has gone.  Always a fun show to watch.

6.  NCIS - This is probably my favorite of the crime shows.  Mark Harmon does such a good job and they've done a pretty good job staying away from the epic conspiracies that cause me to lose interest in a crime show (The Mentalist with the whole Red John thing is anyone watched that).  I like that their office is basically cubicles which is much more realistic than the metal and glass of CSI.  I like the new character they've added with Ellie Bishop.

7.  Who Do You Think You Are? - This show was originally on NBC before ending up on TLC and I LOVE it!  It's a genealogy show where they try to answer a question a celebrity has about their family history.  They travel all over the world and go to places that connect to their families and find out all kinds of stuff.  They've had tons of people on including Sarah Jessica Parker, Chelsea Handler, Emmitt Smith, Jim Parsons and Lisa Kudrow.  If I ever win the lottery or come into bunches of money I'm figuring out how to do this.

 8. Cupcake Wars - I love cupcakes and always enjoy this show.  I even watch reruns periodically.  I love seeing what flavor combinations.

  9. Next Food Network Star - I like seeing what challenges they come up with and all the different POVs.  Plus, I like Jeff Mauro and Damaris who won last year.  Not sure who I want to win this season.

 10. The Big Bang Theory - I love this show!  Bernadette is my favorite character by far.  I loved the one where Sheldon and Howard went to war over a parking space and Amy and Bernadette got involved though the one where Penny ends up getting involved in online gaming is pretty good too.  I feel the urge for a rewatch session!

So what are you watching these days?